I found this DIY charcoal mask on a beauty blogger's website and decided to give it a shot. At first I was very hesitant because I did not know anything about what activated charcoal does to your skin. So I wanted to share what I found!

In World War I, it was used in gas masks to "prevent soldiers from being poisoned by chemical exposure".1

Add powder to toothpaste to help whiten teeth.2

It helps reduce acne.1

Activated Charcoal tightens pores and smooths skin.2

It helps remove toxins from your body.1

You can find all of the ingredients in your local health food store like Whole Foods or Sprouts. A few notes though... I think that Bentonite clay is dirt cheap for a clay mask. Clay masks typically run around $6-12 for a small pot. I got a pound of Bentonite clay and I have had it for over a year and still have plenty. I normally follow the directions on the container but I love finding new ways to use it like this! Ask the wonderful people in the beauty section where you can find activated charcoal. The one that my local health food store had were in capsules. So I just took some kitchen scissors to cut them open and tap out the powder. You will probably end up doing this but be careful! Activated charcoal is so darn messy and gets everywhere!

So I actually had all of the ingredients in my little beauty cupboard which is so handy. I even made some aloe gel last week to use in this clay mask. This mask should keep for 8 months because of the homemade aloe gel but I personally would not wait that long to use this.

Mix the clay in your liquids thoroughly. I added more chamomile tea because I wanted my mask more wet. Place in an air tight container and place in the fridge.

Pardon my mug, hard to smile when the mask pulls at your face!

I have dry skin so I was a little skeptical about using this mask since the charcoal is good for acne-prone skin. I thought that means that it will dry my skin out. But then I realized that there is oils and aloe gel so I thought, why not? I cleansed my face first before putting this mask on. I was pretty generous when I was putting the mask on carefully avoiding the eye area. My dad kept making me laugh and it hurts because the clay makes your face feel so tight. So do not watch anything that will make you laugh, haha. I kept the mask on until it was almost completely dry. At the point, I could not move my face at all. I removed it by using an old Cinderella face towel. My reason is because the charcoal gets everywhere and I don't want it staining my nicer facetowels. It took me quite a bit to get it off. I took the hot-ish face towel over my face to rewet the clay then I slowly removed it. When my towel got too dirty or lost its temperature, I would just run it through the sink again.

It has been 3 hours since I took the mask off and so far so good. My skin isn't acting up. In fact, it feels like it has helped my facial oils sink into my skin. I will check in again tomorrow to see what the results.

Check in: I feel like it has gotten rid of the dirt and grime from what was stuck in my pores. Honestly, I cannot really tell because I didn't really check my face before. I definitely feel that my face feels cleaner and clear.

About Post Author

Karel is a certified yoga teacher teaching in California. She is a life-long learner and forever a student. This blog is a way of documenting her yoga progress, learning more, teaching others, and some personal updates on what is going on in her life.

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